


Working Through The Pain

by Evans_and_Stan



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alaric Saltzman/Josette "Jo" Laughlin, Angst, Damon Salvatore/Alaric Saltzman - Freeform, Damon Salvatore/Stefan Salvatore - Freeform, Elena Gilbert & Damon Salvatore Friendship, Elena Gilbert/Stefan Salvatore Friendship, M/M, NC-17, Romance, Sexual Content, TVD season 6, Vampire Alaric, Violence, the vampire diaries - Freeform, tvd
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 13:40:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2813969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evans_and_Stan/pseuds/Evans_and_Stan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Kai undoes the spell on Mystic Falls, everyone returns home, but not everything remains as joyful as it should be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of my made-up events happening after the fight between Damon & Alaric in 6x10

"You know, I don’t know how I went so long without saying this, but you’re a real dick!" 

The words stung Damon like the sizzling flavor of vervain.

"Bonnie's stuck over there because of him! And she's over there and I'm over here and I hate myself for it!" 

Ric leveled his glare and responded in a high tempered tone. 

"Yeah, and killing him will make YOU feel better. So let's just stop pretending for a second that this is about anyone else but YOU!" 

Damon felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. Yes, he knew he could be a huge asshole at times and yes he's made some very hurtful mistakes, but not this time. This time he was trying to do the right thing, for himself, for Elena and most of all, for Bonnie. 

"I'm trying to do the right thing Ric! I'm trying to put every last piece of this damn puzzle together so I can finally have the knowledge on how to bring Bonnie back! All you're concerned about is protecting a girl you've basically just met! 

"Mind controlling me into going behind my girlfriend's back to steal the one thing that would've kept Kai in his prison was not the way to do it Damon! I've had enough!" 

"Fine, then you can deal with Kai on your own." 

Turning his back to Alaric, Damon whisked himself away with his vampire speed; away from Alaric, away from Kai, away from his growing misery. He stopped right as he was facing the Mystic Falls sign, yet another reason for his unhappiness. He couldn't even go to his own house, couldn't drink himself to death with a bottle of his most expensive liquor, couldn't lock himself away in his room for the rest of eternity. Damon cries out in frustration and slumps down to the soft ground, willing growing tears to disappear. 

"I'm sorry Bonnie, I don't know how to bring you back," Damon says in defeat, looking up at the bright blue sky. 

It's funny how some of the worst possible moments could fall in the mists of a seemingly beautiful day and Damon chuckles dryly at the irony of it. His mind set changes however, as the wind around him begins to pick up, swirling wildly around him. He could only watch in utter confusion as it consumes the air with its wrath, but only a few more seconds pass before it stops completely, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Damon frowns to himself. 

"Well, that was weird." 

Damon turns around and sees Stefan standing behind him, he too looking confused at what just happened. 

"Oh good, you saw it too. For a minute there I thought I was going crazy," Damon replies before turning around to look at the Mystic Falls sign again. "I wish we could go home." 

Stefan doesn't say anything, just walks up next to Damon, stopping mere inches from the border. Damon watches as Stefan lifts his hand to eye level and in that moment, Damon knows what he's about to do. 

"Stefan, don't!" 

Stefan doesn't listen and he thrusts his hand across the border, squeezing his eyes shut as he braces for the unknown pain. But nothing happens. Opening his eyes, he looks at Damon, bewilderment greeting Damon's shocked expression. He mimics Stefan by reaching his hand out and when nothing happens, a slow understanding smile spreads across his lips, his eyes sparking happiness he thought he'd lost forever. They both look at each other before embracing in a brotherly hug. 

"I can't believe this, we can go home!" 

Damon nods in agreement while clapping Stefan's back with his hand. The spell has been broken, finally a good sign.


	2. Chapter 2

Damon sighs with content as he crashes himself onto the couch he hasn't sat on for months; a bottle of his best bourbon resting in his hand. He planned on drinking every last bit of it so the worries and saddening thoughts would leave him for a little while. He cheers silently at the fire place to that before taking a huge gulp of his alcohol consumed beverage. He hears the door swing open behind him, shutting itself from the amount of force that it was opened. 

"Damon! I can't believe we're here!" 

Damon turns his head to the voice, smiling as Elena Gilbert appears at vampirism speed to sit next to him on the couch. She plucks the bottle out of Damon's hand and consumes a surprisingly small amount of it. 

"Yeah, it still seems a bit surreal," Damon admits as Elena hands his drink back to him, clearly not wanting to get totally wasted as he planned on doing himself. 

"Hey, I just remembered, have you talked to Ric lately? I haven't heard from him since the whole baby-sitting Kai thing. And weren't you suppose to stay with him?!" 

Damon inhales sharply at the mention of his name and the sudden sharp pain he feels in his heart indicates that another gulp of his drink is needed, so he proceeds in doing just that. 

"Hello? Earth to Damon?" 

Damon finally looks at Elena, his temper flaring in an instant. 

"No I haven't heard from him and I don't want to. He can go to hell for all I care." 

Taken back by the sudden cruel statement, Elena ponders what to say next, finally resting on, "What happened?" 

"He was acting like a total dick! But he was too blinded by his own wants to see that, he rested on calling me one instead. The whole thing is just ridiculous! He acts like a child, more so now that he's got his so called girlfriend to protect since she's too weak to do that part herself." 

"I remember there was a long period of time when you did the protecting for Ric, and I know feelings for him surfaced. Are you sure you're not just jealous of her and that's why you guys got into a fight?" 

"No, Elena, I'm not jealous of that.....bitch," Damon seethes, his eyes narrowing to black colored slits. "He doesn't care about doing whatever it takes to get Bonnie back and he had the nerve to say that I wasn't trying to save her for anyone else but myself, which is bold faced lie. Unlike him, I'm trying to do the right thing, but not just for me, for all of us." 

Elena remains silent, unsure of what to say, so instead she wraps her arm around his shoulders in an attempt of expressing comfort. It works for a minute until the door behind them opens again and Damon's irises are back to their midnight colored state. 

"Can I get some help here?" 

Elena takes one more look at Damon before hesitantly walking over to Alaric who was trying to balance his own weight with the weight of Kai, who had been knocked out by an incident unknown to Damon. He ignores them both and drowns the rest of the bourbon, relishing in its burning taste, letting his mind wander to his own peaceful world as he closes his eyes. They snap open seconds later when he hears foot steps heading his way, his peaceful a bliss shattering into a million little pieces. Standing up, he walks in the direction of his room, shouldering past Alaric in doing so. The last thing he needed was a full blown fist fight with his best friend...no...former best friend. Slamming his bedroom door, Damon collapses onto his bed, curling up into a ball and willing his misery to be over with each breath that he dared to take.


	3. Chapter 3

Damon doesn't recall how long he'd slept, but the repeated knocking on his bedroom door jolts him out of the blackness that had enveloped him, shaking him back to reality. 

"Go away!" he yells, his voice muffled against the pillow his face was pressing on. 

He hears the door open and with his vampire speed, he changes his position to sit on the side of the bed, facing his intruder. It's Alaric of course. 

"Get out of my room Ric!" 

"No Damon, you don't get to walk away this time! And if you wondered why I called you a dick it's because you act like one! Leaving me in a cemetery alone with Kai is a perfect example of that!" 

"Leaving you with Kai was a whole lot better than having to stay and listen to your bullshit." 

"I really can't believe you! I don't know how we ever became friends!" Alaric seethes, glaring coldly at Damon from across the room. 

"Well, you used to like me Ric," Damon smirks, relishing in the power of getting under Alaric's skin. 

"I was forced to deal with you since we were on the same team most of the time. That part I understand. It's the whole friendship thing that's got me confused. Because I have to ask myself, 'Alaric, why would you ever befriend a vampire? Especially one that's an asshole to top it all off? Isn't your life complicated enough already?'" 

"Apparently not." 

They remain silent for a long moment, each staring the other one down; intimidation at its finest. It was Damon who finally spoke first. 

"Well, if that's all you've got to say to me, then get out. I'm done being the third wheel. I'm done listening to the shit you say to me. Bonnie is my friend. She was there for me every step of the way while we were stuck over there in that psychotic world and I intend on doing everything that I can to bring her back, with or without you. But you better not ever stand in my way again. I hope that's clear enough for you because it's the last time I'm gonna say it." 

Alaric remains silent, but the darkening shade of his eyes reveals his frightening mood and without warning, he quickly closes the distance between himself and Damon and punches the side of his cheek hard enough to snap Damon's head to the side with a speed conquering force. 

"What are you gonna do Damon? Snap my neck?! Drain my body until there not an ounce of blood left in me?! I'm not afraid of you and that kills you deep down inside. You want people like me to be afraid of you, to feel threatened and weak, because it gives you power to control them. But you know what Damon?! I think you're full of shit! You don't give a damn about anyone but yourself, and I'll say it a thousand more times if I have to to get you to admit it. But until you do, go right ahead and keep going down that path, it's what you do best. And don't you dare expect any sympathy from me when you fuck things up with Elena again because I won't be there to witness any of it, nor will I even care." 

Damon's temper flares to the boiling point as Elena's name is mentioned and without warning, he uses his vampire speed to fling Alaric again the nearest wall, his body pressed against his, making an escape from his grasp nearly impossible. 

"Leave Elena out of this. You don't even begin to know the struggles I've gone through, you were on the other side for nearly 4 years! And it was me and Bonnie who saved your ass! So really, you owe the both of us you prick!" 

"I don't owe you shit," Alaric counters, eyes leveling with Damon's. 

"You do owe me, for me and Bonnie saving your ungrateful ass and especially for that little mind trick you used on Elena that completely erased the memories of her ever loving me, which by the way, still pisses me off, so if you ever mention her name in the sense that I'll screw things up again as you so eloquently put it, I won't take a seconds hesitation in ripping your head off," Damon growls menacingly, his eyes glowing vampirism red and if Alaric hadn't already seen that look a thousand times before, he might've actually felt a bit scared. 

"Go to Hell Damon." 

Damon sucks in a quick angry breath and with a flick of his hand, breaks Alaric's neck, watching as his body crumples to the floor. He doesn't care who will find him laying there as he leaves his room, nor does he care what'll be said. All he wants is for peace that'll sadly never come, because that's not his destiny. And the people around him sure as hell try to provoke his growing misery, which to Damon's annoyance, doesn't help matters at all. He wished Bonnie was here to get him advice, she always had the best kind. Damon sighs before walking down the staircase; making his way towards the kitchen to drown himself with another bottle of bourbon, his sorrowing demons following closely behind.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! I'll try to start writing more frequently again!

The days grew longer and longer, much to Damon's utter annoyance. Sadly, Alaric had been wearing his immortal ring the night he had snapped his neck so the next few hours had been spent in a sea of pain and anger as the last of the bourbon was diminished. Stefan and Elena had tended to him when he finally woke, carrying him to the guest bedroom where he spent the majority of his recovery. Damon didn't visit him once, didn't even feel sorry, which was a rarity when it came to Alaric. But Damon had meant what he said about leaving the third wheel cycle. And if Alaric couldn't be bothered to care, then why should he? Damon shakes his head, trying to erase the painful memories that relentlessly try to swallow him whole on a daily basis. It seems as though his love life was doomed for the rest of an eternity along with all the other problems that never fail to surface around him. He wishes he didn't care, wishes he could just turn off his emotions; cloak himself from the shit reality that he's stuck in. But Elena would never forgive him and that's the only reason he keeps fighting the urge everyday. Damon hopes it'll be worth it in the end, but he somewhat doubts it.

"How many drinks today?"

Damon looks up at Matt Donovan's questioning gaze, holding up three of his fingers in a muted response. The Mystic Grill bar provided Damon the little comfort he needed on these stressful sullen days and he intended to suck up all of it before heading back into his hell hole, and that included trying to get as wasted as his vampirism gift would allow. He downed the first drink in one gulp, barely tasting it's promising flavor as the second one followed suit. He was just about to consume the final substance, but a figure sliding skillfully onto the stool next to him stopped his further motions.

"Damon Salvatore, what a surprise to see you here."

Damon slightly turns his head and sucks in a sharp breath when he recognizes Jo Laughlin, the girl responsible for part of his growing misery.

"Well, believe it or not, it's not much of a surprise. I'm here almost everyday," Damon replies with his classy "I'm more clever than you" smirk before resuming back to his glaring demeanor and downing his last drink.

"So you are. And why is that? Is the real world too hard for you to handle?"

Damon's temper flares and he gives Jo his most wicked look; the deadly smile curving into a terrifying snarl.

"Sweetheart, you're not making things any easier on me, but if there's one useful thing you should know then I shall tell you this: it's not wise to piss off a slightly wired, highly dangerous vampire unless you want your heart ripped out from your chest and your body tossed into the nearest lake."

"Wow, you've really thought this one through haven't you?"

It unnerved Damon a little at the calmness and seemingly unbothered attitude that Jo continued to display even despite his threat, but not enough to fully enrage him. Instead he laughed dryly and said, "Actually, it just came to me on the spot."

They became silent for a moment, neither one wanting to make the forfeit of breaking the suffocating tension that had enveloped them both. But because of his impatience to move on, Damon broke the silent barrier.

"Well Jo, it was lovely chatting with you, but I'm afraid I must be going now."

"Wait! I have to ask you something."

Damon groans exasperatedly and annoyingly looks at Jo, wanting to get the hell out of this usually sacred building, especially before he decided to act upon the plan of ripping her head clean off.

"What do you possibly want to know from me?"

"Are you in love with Ric?"

Damon blinks with surprise; his cold, uncaring persona faltering as his brain inwardly explodes. Could he really be in love with Ric? His best friend? They'd always been close, each other's equal in a way. But he never thought of him as a lover before. So why was his stomach doing cartwheels at the mention of "love" and "Ric" in the same sentence?

"No, I'm not," is the reply, but it doesn't sound like the real truth and Jo picks up on it too as she narrows her eyes.

"Don't lie to me Damon. I see it in your eyes."

Was this why he hated her so much? Was Elena right all along? Was he jealous? No! No, he's not jealous! He's angry. Angry that she's turned his best friend against him, that's all.

"I'm not lying. Me and Ric, are just friends. Or should I say _were_ friends until you came along and fucked everything up between us. So I believe that answers your ridiculous question. I'll be going now."

With that, Damon gets up from his stool and walks away, not glancing back even once as he makes it out of the grill. He doesn't know where to go next, knowing that Alaric would probably be at his house instead of his own since that's where he tends to stay lately. Damon doesn't want to face him, at least not at this moment. Rarely does anyone get under his skin. Rarely does anyone rattle every bone inside of his body; break him down to the very essence of his humanity. But Jo did and that pissed him off to the very core.

_Who does she think she is? What right does she have in asking such a question? Why does she care anyway? Not like she could do anything about it even if it were true._

Damon sighs, his life continuing to create a never ending miserable cycle of confusion and pain. He wished it would all end, but he knows that it won't. The cycle will continue on its relentless path until it'll capture him whole in its claw-like grasp. Damon chokes back tears, cursing himself silently for letting his emotions guide the way. When has that ever worked in his favor before? Never. Absolutely never. It's gotten him killed, turned into a vampire and at the end, heartbroken by Katrina who used him over and over again to get what she wanted. What could be a shittier punishment than that?

Damon looks up at the sky, wishing that Bonnie could see how miserable he was. Could know how much he missed her. And like her, he was all alone in a pain-forsaken world when all you can rely on is yourself. Damon forces himself to walk in the direction of the Salvatore mansion, eventually moving to vampire speed when the slow paced walk irritated him. He will face Alaric no matter the cost of the outcome.

 _It's the right thing to do_ , Damon reminds himself as he sets foot inside.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback! I hope you guys will enjoy reading this chapter! :D

Alaric was waiting for him of course, leaning casually against the wall surrounding the fireplace, holding a glass of bourbon as he gazed into the golden light of the crackling fire. He looked so peaceful, so at ease despite everything that had happened in the past few days. Damon didn't know whether he should feel surprised or worried, but he still went on with making the first move. 

"Alaric, we need to talk." 

Damon swallowed nervously as Alaric turned to look at him, he eyes shadowed from the now haunting glow of light dancing around him in every direction. 

"Fine," came the reply and Damon breathed a sigh of relief. 

Pouring himself a glass of the expensive drink, he joined Alaric by the fireplace, leaning against the opposite wall. 

"Look, maybe I over stepped my boundaries a little when I compelled you, but I did it with all the right intentions." 

Alaric let out a short dry laugh. 

"Just because you're an emotional vampire with mind controlling powers doesn't mean you can just up and use them whenever the mood suits you. I played a role in almost getting my girlfriend killed thanks to you, and that's not something I can forget within an apology that I'm sure you're trying to conjure up. And I don't appreciate getting my neck snapped either by the way." 

Damon shook his head before setting his drink down. It was now or never. He quickly closed the distance between himself and Alaric, catching him off guard as he sets his drink down too. 

"Don't hate me more than you already do after this okay?" 

"Damon, wha?-" Alaric started before Damon's mouth mashed against his own, silencing all further protests. 

Damon felt Alaric resist a little, his hands clutching the collar of his shirt trying feebly to push away, but Damon thought one step further by pinning Alaric's hands on either side of his head against the wall he was leaning on. Alaric let out a startled gasp and Damon took advantage of his confusion to dart his tongue inside his slightly opened mouth; erotically turned on more than he ever thought was possible when Alaric's tongue joined his in a slow passionate waltz. The kiss ended too soon, but knowing Alaric still needed to breathe, he reluctantly pulled away and looked up at Alaric's sexual glazed over eyes, hoping that he wouldn't get a punch across the face for finally acting out on his growing feelings for his best friend. 

"What the fuck was that for?!" Alaric exclaims, face flushed with heat and tongue absentmindedly running over his wetted lips, trying desperately to comprehend what just happened. 

"I had to see for myself if what I was feeling for you was real, was true. I didn't know how to approach it any other way." 

Damon turned his head, staring blankly at the now scorching flames in the fireplace, willing the need to throw Alaric down on the ground and fuck him senseless to be buried ten thousand feet below ground and never resurfaced again. 

He didn't see Alaric's face to offer him any feedback, but his felt his hands encircle his waist, pulling him closer so that their bodies smothered each other's and that was all the assurance Damon needed. 

"I was so scared when my feelings for you appeared the first day we met. I didn't even know you, but already I knew that you were the one for me. Even when I found out that you were a vampire, I acted like it bothered me, but really, it didn't. It never changed the way I felt about you. When I died, I felt so alone on the other side. But I took that time to forget about my love for you because I thought I'd never be able to permanently come back. The few short visits were just a tease so that's why I never acted out on my emotions. But when I finally did come back for good, there was a glimmer of hope and the feelings resurfaced until I found out that you hadn't made it back with Bonnie. I banished my feelings entirely after that, claiming that my love life was doomed forever. Jo helped me cope and yes we grew closer than friends, but she wasn't you, Damon. No, I still don't appreciate you compelling me to steal from her and therefore putting her and all of us in danger as a possible and likely result, but most of my anger was and is an act. I can and will forgive you because I can't bear the thought of ever losing you again."

Damon chokes back tears as he looks up at Alaric again, seeing the same mixture of pain and love mirroring back at him. 

"I was worried you'd hate me forever after what I did. I didn't think we'd ever make our way back to being friends, let alone seeing if we'd become lovers too." 

"Damon, I never hated you. Like I said, it was an act. I wasn't sure what to do about my feelings with not knowing how you felt as well, so I hid them from you in the best way that I could." 

Damon nods faintly, giving Alaric a half smile as Alaric moves his hands up to his neck, fingers curling to press against his skin. 

"But I'm not gonna hide them from you any longer. Damon, I'm in love with you. Always have been and always will be."

Damon nods again before reaching out to grasp Alaric's shirt collar while pressing his lips firmly against his in mirrored action towards their earlier passionate session. Alaric moans somewhere in the back of his throat as Damon swallows his mouth whole with his tongue again; darting it in and out like the rhythm he'd probably have while pinning him to the floor, fucking the life right out of him. Damon was vaguely aware of Alaric's hand traveling downwards until he cupped his tenting groin, giving it a squeeze hard enough for Damon to let out a gasp. Alaric grinned against his mouth before using both hands to undo the clasps of Damon's skin tight jeans; pushing them down as far as they would go before doing the same to his underwear. Damon let out a low moan as he felt Alaric's hand curl around his heated erection; their kissing becoming more intense as Alaric set a desperate pace. Damon could feel the creeping fiery burn forming in the pit of his stomach and he broke off the kiss to pant wildly against the side of Alaric's neck, his breathes getting more and more high pitched as his orgasm tittered towards the very near edge. A few seconds later and Damon exploded into Alaric's hand with the pleasure he so desperately had been waiting for, crying out Alaric's name and digging his fingers fiercely into his shoulder blades from under his shirt in the process. 

"Fuck, Ric!" Damon responds once his orgasm subsided, loosening his grip on Alaric as his body relaxes. 

He hears Alaric laugh before his feeling his lips touching the top of his head in a short sweet kiss; his hands moving to gently place his softening dick back into his underwear and pants. It didn't take long for Damon to recover, silently thanking his vampirism energy as he took Alaric's hand, leading him upstairs to his room with promising signs of a returned favor in store.


End file.
